The Edmonton Sun was gutted by Quebecor's centralization plan yesterday, losing six more newsroom employees to layoffs and buyouts.
On a day when a mass murder at a Virginia college highlighted the need for a media focused on providing objective, professional reporting, the Edmonton Sun's newsroom was eviscerated.
The latest Sun casualties in Edmonton, one of Canada's fastest growing cities with a 2006 population of 730,372:
On a day when a mass murder at a Virginia college highlighted the need for a media focused on providing objective, professional reporting, the Edmonton Sun's newsroom was eviscerated.
The latest Sun casualties in Edmonton, one of Canada's fastest growing cities with a 2006 population of 730,372:
Mike Jenkinson, Comment Editor and editorial writer and, in recent months, the letters editor and occasional Point of View writer, took a buyout - gone;
Erik Floren, entertainment writer and editor - gone;
Rob McLaughlin, a senior rim editor who took a buyout while on stress leave - gone;
Gary Prouse, the last of Edmonton's Day Oners in the sports department - gone;
Sources say two other staffers, including a copy editor, were also shown the door.
"They are down to one cop reporter, two general assignment reporters and the Legislature," one source told Toronto Sun Family. "Now the deskers."
"Edmonton Sun newsroom employees are going - and fast," said another source. "Keep up the good work, Pierre Karl."
The Edmonton Sun, launched April 2, 1978, is the second oldest Sun in the chain of tabloids. It will celebrate its 30th anniversary next April - if not buried by Quebecor.
Judging by the performance of the Toronto Sun in the past year, centralization is not being embraced by thousands of once faithful Sun readers.
A short note to pay tribute to one of those who left Edmonton yesterday. Gary Prouse, or "Prouser," was the last remaining day one member of the Edmonton Sun sports department.
ReplyDeleteHe covered the Eskimos and Drillers as a beat writer before joining the desk shortly before most of the current reporters were born! I only started working with Prouser a few years ago but the pride he took in his work and his desire to beat the opposition stood out from the start.
Prouser, it was an honour and privilege to work with you. You were a pro and should feel proud of everything you accomplished at the Sun.
Your former teammate
Way to go fella's. As a fellow Ed Sun staffer from the Ad Department I say good on ya. You waited around for the package and never failed to uphold ÿour pride in the newspaper you built. PK and his band of merry men will succeed in destroying The Sun, but you all will rise above and be better because of it. Just say thanks for releasing you from this sentence! Honest . . . it really is greener on the other side of the street!
ReplyDeleteWow, has the Edmonton Sun ever lost some real talent in the last couple of weeks. The core people who held the paper together have vanished.
ReplyDelete